Bottle cap



p 27, 1932- H. SPENGLER 1,879,640

BOTTLE CAP Filed Feb. 26. 1930 Patented Sept. 27, 1932 yum-TED- srA'fras PATENT OFFICE nanny srnimnm, or imw max, 11. 1., assronon'ro auras s. cusmum, or

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BOTTLE CA? Application med February, 1930. Serial in. m

The invention relates to closure caps for bottles and analogous containers, and its object is to provide an improved cap of spring sheet metal including peripheral locking fingers having-overlapping engaging portions 5 which increase the resilient gripping action,

and also to so form the fingers and their overlapping portions as to provide a generally smooth eripheral surface or contour.

The c aracteristics and advantages ofthe invention are further sufliciently ex lained in connection with the following detail description of the accompanyin drawing, which show representative em odi'ments. After considering these examples, skilled persons will understand thatmanyvariations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed, and I contemplate the employment Ill of any structures that are properly within the n scope of the a ended claims. In the drawih g: v

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank for the production of the cap in one form embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view.

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the completed cap pro duced from the blank of Figs. 1 and 2, in position for application to a bottle neck.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the cap in applied or sealing position.

Fig. 5 is a section at 55 of Fi 3.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of a m ifie'd structure. I

Fig. 7 is a section at 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged-fragmentary section similar to Fig. 5 explaining a tapered or swaged overlapping formation of finger members. i

The invention provides improvements -.'n

' closure caps of the character dlsclosed in atent to Henry Spengler, No. 1,589,575, in w ich alternate locking fingers have alternate overand under-lapping marginal portions by which the over-lapping members reenforce or amplify the resilient gripping action of the other fingers. In the patented structures,

however, the overlapping finger portions'are of normal or unreduced thickness and proto duce a cap contour which'is undesirably irdill regularyincluding abrupt shoulders formed by the edges of the overlapping members. This is objectionable for various reasons, including liability of the irregular peripheral surfaces, or thick exposed edges of the fingers, to injure hands of the user, irregular appearance of the cap, I nd other reasons as understood by skilled persons. An important feature of the present invention consists in so forming by bending, pressing, swaging, or otherwise, the overlapping and co-operating finger portions, that the peripheral contour of the cap is substantiall smooth and uniform, without abrupt shou ders or thick overlapping edges, thus imparting to the cap a neat andtrim appearance, preventing injury to fin rs of the user, and at the same time providing the desired firm locking effect by mutual action of the overla ping finger portions. 7

n the form shown in Fi ..3 and 4, the cap 1 is produced from a blan 2, Figs. 1 and 2. This blank is a circular disc of spring sheet met I, usually steel. In the margin of the disc are cut uniformly paced approximately radial but actually nonadial or angular slits .3, the angularity of all f the slits being similar or symmetrical with respect to the circular form of the blank. The peri heral portion of the blank is thus separate into lockingfingers 4. One edge of eachfinger is pressed to form a substantially. triangular segment 5 which as best shown in Fig. 2 is depressed from the general lane of the disc, and at the same time the main finger portions 4 may be bent slightly at angles to the disc plane. V The blank is then pressed to the form shown in Fig. 3, including a central or body portion 6 of moderately convex form, terminating peripherally in a shallow channelwhich produc'es an internal convex bead 7 to overlie the bottle rim, and the lockingfingers are bent curvedly or convexly downward, with the plain or undepressed margin 8 of each finger overlying the depressed triangular portion 5 of the nextadjacent finger, the edge of each finger margin 8 confronting the shouldered portion 5 of the adjacent finger where the depressed or triangular portion 5 joins the 10a is compressed between annular shoulder 7 and the bottle rim to form a hermetic seal. In the applying action the fingers of course spring outward, and finally their lowerportions engage under the neck bead 10, the resilient gripping action of each finger'being smooth and uniform face contour.

reenforced and amplified by the overlapping engagement with it of the next adjacent I finger. The cap is thus secure against. accidental removal or leakage but is readily removed by any ordinary finger pressure.

Fig. 5 shows in section the overlapping relation of the finger portions, and Fig. 8 shows that the finger margins 8 which overlie the depressed or inbent marginal portions 5 of the adjacent fingers may be pressed or swaged to reduce the thickness of said finger portions 8 and prevent any projection of their edges beyond the general contour of the periphery of the finger structure.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modification in which each finger 4 has at one side, in a mid-length position, a rounded projecting portion or lug 15 which interfits with and overlaps an impressed segment 16 of'the adjacent finger. he overlapping portions 15 and 16, or either of them, may be pressed or swaged to reduce their thickness and produce practically a perfectly smooth, uniform peripheral contour as clearly shown in Fig. 7.

I claim:

j 1. A closure cap of sheet metal comprising a body portion and down-bent locking fingers, similar edges of the fingers being inbent and other similar edges of the fingers overlapping the inbent portions, producing a substantially peripheral finger sur- 2. A closure cap of sheet metal comprising a body portion and down-bent locking fingers, similar edges of the fingers being inbent and other similar edges of the fingers overlappingthe inbent portions, producing a substantially smooth and uniform peripheral finger surface contour, and the overlapping finger portions mutually increasing the resilient engagement of the fingers with a container neck formation.

3. A closure cap of sheet metal comprising a body portion and down-bent locking fingers, similar edges of the fingers being inbent and other similar edges of the fingers overlapping the inbent portions, producing a I substantially smooth and uniform peripheral fingersurface contour, the body portion having near the points of juncture with the fingers an annular inpressed head to co-operate with a packing disc.

4. A closure cap of sheet metal comprising a body portion and down-bent locking fingers, similar edges of the fingers being inbent and other similar edges of the fingersv gers, each finger having an inpressed triangular margin with' a shoulder between it and the main finger portion, the other margins-of the fingers overlying the inpressed triangular portions, with their edges confronting the shoulder formations, providing a smooth exterior finger contour.

6. A bottle cap of spring sheet metal in- I eluding a body portion and separate locking fingers extending curvedly downward therefrom, each finger having at one side a depressed formation and each finger having at its other side a rounded projection, the projections fitting in the depressions to augment resilient finger action and provide a smooth peripheral cap contour.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY SPENGLER. 

